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Antares (album)

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Antares
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 2, 2018 (2018-11-02)
Length46:41
Language
Label
Producer
Singles from Antares
  1. "Deserve"
    Released: October 12, 2017
  2. "Like That"
    Released: May 18, 2018
  3. "Freedom"
    Released: September 14, 2018

Antares (Chinese: 安塔爾) is the only studio album by Canadian rapper Kris Wu, released on November 2, 2018, through Ace Unit Culture Media.[1] The album was preceded by the singles "Deserve" featuring Travis Scott, "Like That", and "Freedom" featuring Jhené Aiko.[2][1] "Coupe" featuring Rich the Kid was released as an instant grat along with the album pre-order.[2] The songs "Tough Pill" and "Hold Me Down" are the only songs on the album to be featured in both English and Mandarin versions.[3]

Background

[edit]

Along with the announcement of the album on the Complex radio show Open Late hosted by Peter Rosenberg, Wu stated on the show that he named the album for the star Antares, which means "heart of the scorpion", and in Chinese translates to "heart of the dragon".[4] Wu also set the release date for November 2.[5]

Chart manipulation accusation

[edit]

Upon release in the United States, seven songs from Antares were in the top ten on the American iTunes Store, blocking songs like Ariana Grande's "Thank U, Next", which was released the following day.[6] Wu was accused by Grande's manager Scooter Braun of using bots to boost his sales numbers. Braun later apologized via an Instagram post, stating after a conversation with Wu, that the irregulation in sales were most likely done through impatient Chinese fans using VPNs to access the album earlier.[7] Antares ultimately debuted at number 100 on the Billboard 200, earning 8,000 album-equivalent units, 5,000 of which were pure sales.[8]

Track listing

[edit]
Antares track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Antares"3:06
2."November Rain"
3:13
3."Coupe" (featuring Rich the Kid)
Nelson3:14
4."Tough Pill"
3:32
5."We Alive"
  • Wu
  • Oshunrinde
  • Krystin Rook
  • Monroe Watkins
  • Feeney
  • WondaGurl
  • Frank Dukes[b]
3:03
6."Selfish"
  • Wu
  • Nelson
Nelson3:15
7."Tian Di" (天地)
Dun Deal P.Kaldone [b]3:36
8."Freedom" (featuring Jhené Aiko)
4:24
9."Explore"
  • Wu
  • Mario Jefferson
  • King
  • Simmonds
  • Krystin Rock
  • Monroe Watkins
  • Kris Wu
  • R!O & Kamo
2:59
10."Like That"
  • Wu
  • Jeffrey Smith
  • Vernon Smith
  • Roberts
  • Bell
3:48
11."Hold Me Down"
  • Wu
  • Bell
  • Simmonds
  • Owens
  • King
Bell2:59
12."Deserve" (featuring Travis Scott)
  • Kris Wu
  • Bell
  • Beazy Tymes
3:02
13."Tough Pill" (Chinese version)
  • Wu
  • Bell
  • Owens
  • Landis
  • Simmonds
  • King
  • Kris Wu
  • Bell
  • Roofeeo
3:32
14."Hold Me Down" (Chinese version)
  • Wu
  • Simmonds
  • Owens
  • King
  • Kris Wu
  • Bell
2:59
Total length:46:41

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer
  • ^[b] signifies an additional producer
  • "Hold Me Down" is titled "Hold Me Down – English Version" on digital platforms.
  • The Mandarin version of "Hold Me Down" is titled "Hold Me Down – Chinese Version" on digital platforms.

Personnel

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Performance

Production

  • Kris Wu – executive production, production (tracks 4, 9, 12–14)
  • WondaGurl – production (track 1 and 5)
  • Murda Beatz – production (track 2)
  • Brian Lee – production (track 2)
  • Bryan Nelson – production (tracks 3 and 6)
  • Louis Bell – production (tracks 4, 11–14)
  • Roofeeo – production (tracks 4 and 13
  • Dun Deal – production (track 7)
  • P.Kaldone – production (track 7)
  • FKi 1st – production (tracks 8 and 10)
  • R!O & Kamo – production (track 9)
  • Track Bangas – production (track 10)
  • Beazy Tymes – production (track 12)
  • Frank Dukes – additional production (tracks 1 and 5)
  • Rex Kudo – additional production (track 8)
  • Smitty – co-production (track 10)

Technical

  • Ray Charles Brown Jr. – engineering (tracks 7 and 10), recording (track 8)
  • Claudio Cueni – mastering (track 8)
  • FKi 1st – mixing (track 8)

Charts

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Chart performance for Antares
Chart (2018) Peak
position
Australian Digital Albums (ARIA)[9] 25
French Digital Albums (SNEP)[10] 121
US Billboard 200[11] 100

References

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  1. ^ a b Herman, Tamar (October 19, 2018). "Kris Wu Releases 'Coupe' With Rich the Kid Ahead of 'Antares' Album: Listen". Billboard. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Pre-Order International Phenomenon Kris Wu's Debut Album 'Antares' Now". Umusic. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  3. ^ Murray, Robin (October 19, 2018). "Kris Wu Announces New Album 'Antares' | News". Clash. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  4. ^ Khal (October 17, 2018). "Kris Wu Announces Release Date for New Album 'Antares'". Complex. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  5. ^ Kung, Tingyi (October 19, 2018). "無預警釋出!吳亦凡 Kris Wu 聯手 Rich The Kid 推出全新單曲《Coupe》" [No warning released! Wu Yifan Kris Wu teamed up with Rich The Kid to launch a new single 'Coupe']. Hypebeast (in Chinese). Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  6. ^ Deng, Iris (November 7, 2018). "Chinese rap star Kris Wu who bumped Ariana Grande off iTunes charts is accused of using bots". South China Morning Post. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  7. ^ Stutz, Colin (November 8, 2018). "Kris Wu's iTunes-Topping Sales Are Under Review". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  8. ^ Stutz, Colin (November 13, 2018). "Kris Wu's 'Antares' Album Debuts on Billboard 200 Chart After Sales Audit". Billboard. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  9. ^ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Digital Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. November 12, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  10. ^ Charted albums on SNEP:
  11. ^ "Kris Wu Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2018.